Feeler mechanism for looms



may 27, 1924. A Y M9553@ A. E. RHOADES FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 2G 1922 Fig. l.

23 53.58 57u as '53 x7 5 Se @Si I 3-39 57 54 SS IO 5E 12" ,4s 3| 33 53 Y Patented May Z7, 392%,

ear

ALONZO El RHOADES, 0E HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSEGNO?, T0 DRAPER'COE- POEATION, OF HOPELDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A/CORlPOBATON OF MAINE.

rennen naci-ramen non Loos/rs.

Application tiled September 26, 1922. Serial No. 590,341.

To al] whom t may concer/1,.'

Be it known that l, lienzo E, Enormes, Y

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hopedale, county of TWorcester, State of islassachusetts, whose Imst-office address is Hopedale, lwiassachusetts, have invente,r an improvement in Feeler h'lechanisin for lgooms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a feeler mechanism for effecting auton'iatically a change in the operation of the loom when the filling in the Working shuttle has become substantially exhausted but While sufficient filling still remains on the filling carrier to insure the weaving of perfect cloth. The change in the operation of the loom thus effected may, for example, be the stopping of the loom or it may be and. frequently is the replenishment of a fresh supply of filling such as takes place in the .vell known automatic filling replenisl'iing loom. Various forms of feeler mechanism have been designed for accomplishing this object but this invention relates more particularly to that type of feeler mechanism employing what is commonly termed a needle-feeler. This type of vteeler mechanism comprises a feeler member having a small point which is adapted to sink into the mass of filling upon each detecting beat of the lay Without effecting the operative movement of the feeler member until the filling has become exhausted to the required degree whereupon the point of the feeler member comes into vcontact `withl the hard surface of the filling carrier and upon the ensuing beat up of the lay is given an operative movement.

One object of the present invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the needle type in Which this needle or penetrating feeler member is normally held in a retraced position so as not to engage and penetrate or sink into the filling thus preventing any injury or damage being done thereby to the filling and in Which this penetrating member is only projected so as to engage the filling When the filling has been eX- hausted to a predetermined extent or is approaching the degree of exhaustion desired for effecting the change in the operation of the loon'ol` Another object of the invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of this type in Which the penetrating member is brought from its normal retracted position into its position to engage with the filling by means of a shuttle impinging fecler member or a member Which when the `filling has become exhausted to a predetermined degree comes into contact with. the face of the shuttle orshuttle boX Wall. i

A further object of the invention is to provide in this type of feeler mechanism a governing or controlling feeler member which is given au indicating movement upon the exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined eXtent and thereby or therethrough the form of a Wedge, operated by the governing or controlling feelerv member, preferably a shuttle impinging member, to connect t-he fill-ing penetrating member and the actuator and thereby to causethe actuator' tovmove into actuating position when the filling penetrating 'member engages the filling carrier upon the beat up of the lay.

Heretofore as disclosed in my prior Patent #1,024,023 granted April 23,1912, means have .been provided for intermittently suspending the detecting action of a certain type of feeler mechanism so as to prevent the continuous detecting action while the filling was 'becoming-exhausted and before a critical condition of the filling was approached., A further object of the present invention consists in combining such a mechanism With the needle or penetrating type of feeler mechanism and in providing certain improvements-therein, particularly in the Vadjustment of such mechanism and in the means provided for its operation.y j These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and `will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings; l l

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially 1n cross section of a portion of the lay, shuttle and shuttle box, supporting' bracket for the feeler mechanism, a feeler mechanism of a preferred form and a controller element, the movement of which through suitable transmitting mechanism acts to ede-ct the desired change in the loom;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail in side elevation showing an adjusted position of certain elements of thD suspending mechanism.

As this invention is adapted for use in looms of various types and as the particular change to be effected in the loom may be as desired it is unnecessary here to illustrate or describe the mechanism of the loom to any extent. rl`here is, therefore, here indicated the lay 1 of a looma the front wall of a shuttle boX .at the detecting end, a shuttle 2, a Filling carrier 3 in the shuttle, and a bracket 4 adapted to be secured to the breast beam or other fixed part of the loom opposite the shuttle boX at the detecting end of the loom. it controller arm 5 is also shown such as is well known and familiar in the Northrop type of automatic filling replenishing loom and which when moved forwardly acts through suitable transmitting mechanism to initiate filling replenishment.

lThe feeler stand is shown as secured to` the bracket 4 by bolts 6 passing through a slot 7 in the stand. This feeler stand which supports the feeler mechanism is formed in two main separable parts, a base 8 and a top 9 secured together by set screws 10. At its right hand side the top is provided with longitudinal vertically separated guiding bars 11 and 12 between which is guided the end of the controller 5.

In a suitably shaped longitudinal groove formed between the base 8 and top 9 of the feeler stand there is mounted for reciprocation toward and from the lay the feeler slide. This slide at its rearward portion is in the form of a comparatively wide Hat plate 13 and at its forwfrd portion in the form of a narrower flat plate 14. Between the shoulder 15 formed between these two portions of the feeler slide and a shoulder at the forward end of the feeler stand and surrounding the portion 14 is a spring 16 which normally acts to project the feeler slide toward the lay. The rearward portion of the feeler slide has secured thereto a cover plate 17 and this cover plate terminates forwardly in a vertical post 18 in which is fulcrumed at 19 an actuator in the form of a bell crank lever having an arm 2O eX- tending rearwardly and provided with a forked end 21 and a shorter arm 22 extended downwardly. A post 23 extends vertically from the rearward end of the top 9 of the feeler stand and has mounted therein a plunger 24 normally depressed by a spring 25 inside of the post. This plungerr thus acts normally to hold the actuator in the poH si'ion shown in Figure 1 so that it will slide on the top of the feeler stand and pass beneath the end of the controller 5. lf the actuator be raised against the tension of the spring when the feeler slide is in rear ward position the forked end 21 will engage the controller 5 upon the forward movement of the feeler slide and carry the controller back with it thus initiating the desired change in the operation of the loom. .4l stop lug 26 projects upwardly from the feelcr slide in line with the controller and acts7 if necessary, to return the controller to normal position when the teeler slide moves rearwardly.

The feeler mechanism comprises three feeler members namely a filling impinging member7 a lilling penetratingmember7 and a governing or controlling feeler member7 j neferably in the form of a shuttle imping ing member.

rlhe .filling impinging member is constituted by the broad dat wide rearward end 27 of the feels-r slide portion 13 and cover 17. rlfhe surface thus formed when contacting with the mass of filling on the filling carrier 3 can. therefore, ca use little or no damage to the lilling.

The filling penetrating member is in the forni ot the needle like point 28 formed on the end of a flat slide 29 mounted in a longitudinal groove between the feeler slide portion 13 and top 17. This slide 29 abuts at its forward end a compression spring 30 seated in a recess in the cover 17 which thus acts normally to maintain the slide 29 and the penetrating member 28 retracted or in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the penetrating member 28 thus concealed and so that it will not contact with the filling upon the beat up of the la;v when the filling impinging member 27 engages the filling.

The governing or controlling feeler mem her is adapted to feel against the surface of the shuttle or if desired of the shuttle box wall and is in the form of a screw stud 3l having a round head presenting the contacting surface. rlhis stud by means of its threaded portion is adjustable` in a split socket in a rocker arm 32 and is locked in its adjusted position by a screw 33 pass-v ing through the split portion. The rocker arm 32 is fulcrumed on a screw 34 extending transversely through the cover 17 of the feeler slide and this rocker arm is norI mally held elevated or in. the position shown in Figure l by a spring 35 seated between its forward end.. and the cover 17. The rocker arm 32 carries at its forward end a lug 36 on which is pivoted an intermedi ary or connector in the form of a wedge 37. rlhis wedge when carried downwardly by the rocker arm 32 passes between the .forward end of the filling penetrating meniber slide 29 and the arm 22 of the actuator. `When this takes place, owing to the fact that the spring is much weaker than the spring the slide 29 is projected. TiVith the parts in this position if' the slide 29 is moved forwardly the actuator 21 will be swung upwardly and brought into the path of the controller and if the feeler slide be then moved forwardly the .controller will be moved forwardly also to initiate the desired change in the operation of the loom.

The operation vof the mechanism thus far described may now be understood. Under normal conditions the spring holds the filling penetrating member retracted., the spring holds the rocker arm 32 and wedge 37 elevated, the spring 25 holds the actuator in inactive position. and the spring 1G holds the feeler slide projected rearwardly. lVith the parts in this position as the lay beats up the filling on the filling carrier 3 engages the filling iinpinging niember 27 and the entire feeler slide 13 moves forwardly without producing any effect. Vhen, however, the filling has become eX- hausted on the filling carrier 3 to a predetermined degree and preferably to a point when it is approaching substantial exhaustion the shuttle impinging member 3l is adjusted so that upon the beat up of the lay this shuttle impin-gi-ng member will con tact with, in the oase illustrated, the wall of the shuttle. When this contact takes place the shuttle impinging member begins to carry the wedge 37 downwardly at each detecting beat up and thus forces the filling penetrating member 28 and its slide for-- wardly or into projected position so that the point 28 begins to penetrate and sink into the filling. This action continues until the filling has become exhausted to such a. degree that but a few picks remain on the filling carrier or the critical period ot' exhaustion has been reached, Then this takes place the point 28 on the next beat up contacts with the hard surface of the filling carrier and as the lay bea-ts up the forward push is first taken by the point of the filling impinging member and thus transmitted through the slide 29 and the wedge 37 to the actuator swinging Ythe actuator upward into the path of the controller and retracting the filling impinging member.

The balance of the push is taken b-y the filling impinging member 27 and thus the entire feeler slide is carried forwardly and the desired change in the operation of the loom effected.

It will thus be seen that the filling penetrating member is not brought into engagement with the filling until the filling is appreaching the critical degree of exhaustion and thus there is little danger of its cutting or injuring the filling because it acts but a" few times before it comes :into contact with the hard surface of the filling carrier and moves the actuator. f l

But it is not even necessary that the filling impinging member 27 shall be brought constantly at every other beat up of the lay lagainst the filling on the filling carrier and this invention `provides in addition mechanism of the general typeshown in my aforesaid Patent 1,024,023 for suspending Iany detecting action upon the filling excepting at infrequent intervals.

The feeler slide Aat itsr forward portion 14 is provided with a plate 38 KEJforming .at its rearward .end a shoulder 39. A. detent pawl 40 is adjustably mounted by means of a slot 41 anda locking screw 42 on the end of a shaft 43 joui-nailed in a bracket 44 upstanding from the forward end of the top 9 of the feeler stand. A helical spring 45 secured at one end to the -bracket and at the other end to a collar 46 on the'shaft 43 acts normally to depress the pawl 40. The .pawl 40 and the shoulder 39 are so related that when the feeler slide is pushed forwardly to bring the pawl rearward of the shoulder 39 the filling carrier will not contact with the filling impinging member 27 upon the lbeat up of the lay or will AContact so lightly therewith as to do no possible harm to the filling.

A bracket 47 projecting forwardly from the feeler stand carries a stud 48 on which is j ou-rnalled a ratchetwheel 49 provided on its face with a cam 50 adapted when it passes beneath a lug '5l projecting from the pawl 40 to lift the pawl above the shoulder 39 and release the feeler slide. This ratchet wheel 49 is operated by a pawl 52 which is given a reciprocating movement by being struck by the shuttle box upon each beat up of the lay. For this purpose the pawl is mounted on the end of a plunger in the form of a rod 53 slidably mounted in aligned brackets v54 on the feeler stand and 55 on the feeler slide. At its rearward end the rod is provided with a rounded head 56 adapted to engage the shuttle boX wall. A spring 57 mounted on the rod 53 between the bracket 54 and an adjustable collar 58 vacts to project the rod rearwardly. The rod is sufliciently loose. in its bearings to enable the pawl to drag over the ratchet teeth on its return stroke. The degree of rotation of the ratchet wheel 49 depends upon the length of the stroke of the rod 53 and in this invention this length of stroke may be adjusted by means of a nut 59 threaded on the rod and engaging t-he bracket 54 and limiting the rearward movement of the rod. In Figures 1. and 2 the nut 59 is shown adjusted to the position that will permit the longest stroke of the plunger and consequently the most rapid rotation of the wheel of the ratchet while in Figure 4 the adjust- Cil ment is such as to cause the plunger to feed the ratchet wheel but a single tooth at eachv stroke,

The various adjustments provided particularly the adjustment of the shuttle impingingr stud 3l. the adjustn'ient of 'the detent pawl 4U, and the adjustment of the feeding stroke ot the plunger rod enable the Ateeler mechanism to be adjusted to suit any particular set ot coni'litions. lt the .filling on the filling carrier is large and coar. stroke of the plunger will be set to rotate the ratchet wheel 49 more rapidly than it the filling is small and line. Each time the ratchet wheel makes one rotation the detent pawl 4() is lifted and the feeler slide Imakes a small number ot detectiiigv movements until the ram 50 passes from beneath fthe lug 51 allowing the pawl et() again to drop behind the shoulder 39 and hold the vteeler slide retracted until another rotation oit the ratchet wheel 49 takes place. When the fillingl on the filling' carrier has become exhausted to an extent where .it is approaching the critical degree of substantial exhaustion then the t'eeler slide should be freeto Ateelthe filling` at each 'detecting beat of the lay. ln this invenn tion this result may be accurately secured by adjusting the controlling orr governing ieeler in this case the shuttle iinpinging feeler 3l, and by adjusting the detent pawl vl0 so that when this required degree of eX- haustion is reached the filling impinging teeler 27 will engage the filling, the shuttle iiupinging teele'r Sl. will engage the shuttle and the Forward movement cit the celer slide will be ins'ulicie'nt to allow the pawl 40 to'drop behind the shoulder 39. F rom this time on the filling penetrating teeler 28 will begin to act and there will be no suspension ot the movements of the teeler slide because the detent pawl 4f() will remain on top of the plate 38.

l/Vhile, therefore. the movements of the teeler slide may only occur at intervals under the control ot the ratchet wheel t9 during the reduction of the filling as it is drawn oli from a full or partially filled Filling carrier yet when the filling apyproachcs the critical degree oeXhaustion Leases@ trip the detent pawl and release the Yt'eeler slide, a plunger adapted to be struck and moved by the lay upon the beat up and acting to inove the said device, and means iii 5114" Y i 1 .x t il 0'nim. rjnstinp ,ric moi einen o e p uiibei yto vary the movement oit the said device.

2. il. loom comprising the construction defined in claim l in which the said pawl tripping device is in the torni ol a ratchet wheel. in which. the said plunger carries a. YFeedingpawl co-opei'ating with the-ratchet wheel, in which the plunger is provided with spring` acting normally toproject it toward the lay and in whichlthe adjustment ot the jilunger movementis effected by means Vfor limiting therearward projectingrv movement oit the plunger.

3. A loom comprising` a teeler slide, means acting normally to project the teeler slide rearwardly, teeler mechanism associated with the feeler slide acting" to bring about a change in the operation of the loom upon substantial exhaustion ot the filling);7 a detect pawl acting' to engage the 'teelcr slide and Ahold it in forward inoperative position, a ratchet wheel provided with means to trip the pawl at each revolution of the ratchet wheel and release the tee/ler slide, a reciprocating` plunger operated by the lay upon the beat up and provided with. a pawl copperating with the ratchet wheel to ei'iiect partial rotation thereof upon each reciprocation ot' the plunger) and means Vfor djusting` the throwot the plunger thereby to vary the movement ci the ratchet wheel.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my naine to this specification.

ALONZ@ E. RHOADES. 

